


I'm latching on (to you)

by Brain_Brainson



Series: Tua ficlets [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Cuddling, M/M, Nonbinary Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Pseudo-Incest, Sort Of, but can be read as platonic, kind of, touch starved five
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 04:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19243984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brain_Brainson/pseuds/Brain_Brainson
Summary: "You're sitting in the way."Five looks up to take in Luther standing behind them, rubbing at his neck.They shrug. "It may seem so."





	I'm latching on (to you)

**Author's Note:**

> This is short but it was a spur of the moment decision and inspired by this:
> 
> ok but imagine Five being speechless and flustered for like 5 mins after Luther picks him up… He would be like “what’s wrong with me why am I feeling that”
> 
> I am still getting used to their dynamic so this is....not good, but anyway! Enjoy!

"You're sitting in the way."

 

Five looks up - twists their whole body really, neck straining - to take in Luther standing behind them, rubbing at his neck. 

 

Five moves his head back and forth, from Luther’s face to themself sitting on the floor, pen in hand. 

They shrug, eyes back on Luther. "It may seem so."

 

Granted, it’s not the best place for Five to be working on their calculations but inspiration just hit. Literally. 

 

(As in, they stumbled over their own feet and hit their head on the dresser next to them. But it helped Five’s mind, gears starting to turn and an idea forming within seconds. 

 

Newton had his best ideas after an apple fell on his head, so they won’t question it. 

 

It did hurt like a bitch though). 

 

"So…… you gonna move?" 

 

“Hmm?” Five is already leaning over their papers again, plucking the pencil from behind their ear. They tilt their head towards Luther again. “Oh. You’re still here.”

 

“Of course I’m still-” Luther sighs, hands twitching at his sides. He closes his eyes for a moment before he looks at Five again. It reminds Five of Diego when he tries to push down his annoyance. 

His annoyance at Luther, mostly. 

 

For a brief second - brief enough that Five can pretend it didn’t occur at all - they feel bad, stomach sinking at the thought of Luther being angry with them. 

But Five is the definition of a little shit and much like all of them, they have a hard time showing vulnerability, so they only grin up at Luther, wide enough to be cheeky. 

 

“Five, would you please move out of the way so I can pass? Please.” 

 

The hallway is big, two people comfortably being able to stand next to each other. Well, two people who aren’t horribly mutated by their Father. As it is, Luther only narrowly fits, shoulders already brushing against the wall when he moves. 

 

(There’s another brief second of emotions swelling up, a twinge in their chest. Right where Five’s heart is. But it doesn’t take long for the feeling to be replaced with anger, coiling together tightly in its place. Five knows that it will take a while to vanish again; too used to having a clean cut solution for their problems and too frustrated by the unlikeliness of punishing the one who did this to Luther. 

To all of them). 

It’s an ugly feeling Five doesn’t need Luther to see, doesn’t want him to see. He would only think they are frowning at him, face twisting into a disgusted expression at his body, at the way he holds himself that so clearly screams his discomfort. 

 

Five turns so they can properly face Luther, legs crossed. They lean back on their hands, looking up at their brother. Chin tilted. A challenge. 

 

“Please already has a nice ring to it…..but I think you need to beg a little bit more. How about ‘pretty please’ or ‘dearest Five, unmatched in intelligence and wit, would you mind interrupting your important - no,  _ lifesaving _ work, to-”

 

Five stops when two hands wrap around their waist, big enough to meet at their back. They’re hoisted up into the air, pressed against Luther’s chest - Luther's broad chest, nose pushed into one of his ridiculous sweaters and Five can smell it, can smell  _ him _ . 

 

Luther turns around - turns both of them and Five is clinging to him, legs and arms wrapped around him, their face still smashed into Luther's chest. 

 

It doesn't take more than a few seconds before Luther lets him down again, but it's enough to leave Five dizzy, mouth dry and heart beating like crazy. 

 

Luther leans down, gently prying off Five's legs from around his waist. Then their arms. He's barely touching Five, his fingers more of an idea on Five's skin, on their wrists. But it still leaves their hands shaking, pulse speeding up.   


It's been a long time since anyone touched them like this. Like they are fragile. 

Something to be protected. Treasured. 

 

Five just stands there, letting themself be moved, and they would never admit it but they actually gape at Luther, eyes wide and mouth open. 

 

Luther picked them up so easily, like they weigh nothing. He probably didn't even need both of his hands. Probably only did that so Five would be steady. 

Would be safe. 

 

Luther smiles, satisfied with his solution. 

"Thank you,  _ dearest Five." _

 

He turns and walks away, walks down the hallway and Five's mind takes a moment to catch up, to form a plan. 

 

Their hands are still shaking, tremors running through them, but they still manage to jump, to feel the familiar sensation of static running along their skin, rushing over their body. 

 

Five plops up when Luther is already halfway down the stairs. They force him to stop, leaning against the balustrade right in front of him. 

 

One of their legs is up in the air, foot firmly planted against the opposite wall. 

 

Luther draws his brows together, frowning.  

 

“Five, you’re-”

 

“In the way?” Five interrupts. They make a show of first looking at Luther and then their leg, still blocking his path. “It may seem so.”

 

Luther drags his hand over his face, breathing out noisily. 

“Is this-, do you wanna annoy me or something? Are you bored?” He turns his head, looks behind him and up the stairs. The direction they came from. 

 

“I had the impression you were pretty busy with your calculations.”

 

Five hums. “I was,” they say. “And I will go back to them eventually.”

 

“So why do you-”

 

“See, we have a bit of a predicament here.” Five wipes away Luther’s objection with a flick of their hand and Luther stops talking. Like Five quite literally knocked the words out of him. 

 

“You wanna go down this lovely set of stairs,” they continue, gesturing downward, towards the steps leading into the foyer. “But I am not willing to let you pass.”

 

Luther straightens his shoulders. “What do you want then?”

 

Luther’s not stupid; both of them grew up with siblings - even if one lived around them longer than the other. They both know the rules to this game. 

 

Only that Five is about to change it. 

 

“Simple.” Five crosses their arms, looking Luther right in the eyes. 

 

“I want you to do something about it.”

 

At first Luther looks confused, standing across from Five with his hands twisted together. 

 

He looks _ huge _ , the fact that he’s standing on the steps above Five only adding to the effect. 

 

Five considers straight up teleporting themself into his arms or onto his back - because there’s no way they will admit this out loud - but then it clicks. 

 

“Oh,” Luther says, rather unhelpfully. “You want me to-” He makes a vague gesture with his hands, pushing them together and upwards. 

 

“Exactly.” It’s meant to sound smug but Five can barely hear themself over the sound of their heart beating wildly. Still, they keep the aura of superiority, a little trick they learned during their years at the commission. 

 

Luther clears his throat, cheeks pink. He takes a hesitant step towards Five, stopping on the landing right above them. 

 

“I-umm…,” he moves his mouth, clearly thinking over what to say before simply spreading his arms. 

“Come here,” Luther says and it’s soft enough that there’s a shiver running down Five’s back. 

 

They walk right into Luther’s embrace and it’s less than a miniscule step, more Five just leaning their upper body forward, but still they feel themself jump, impatient enough to materialize right in Luther’s arms. 

 

Luther catches them easily, arms circling around their waist - and god, he could probably wrap them  _ twice _ around Five’s small frame if that were possible - while Five tugs their face into Luther’s neck, hides it. 

 

“So...should I carry you back to your calculations?” Luther strokes one hand up and down Five’s back, thumb brushing against the skin on Five’s neck ever so often. Five shivers, wrapping themself around Luther even tighter, tight enough they’re probably squeezing his ribcage. 

 

But Luther doesn’t complain, in fact doesn’t even say anything - doesn’t even notice?? - only curls his hand into Five’s side. Securing them. 

 

_ ‘Safe. _ ’ The primal part of Five thinks, the one that really came alive during the apocalypse, the one that would usually snarl and claw at anyone daring to get this close. 

 

_ ‘Safe and Sound.’ _

 

“Five?” Luther’s mouth is against their ear, whispering. “Five, where do you wanna go?”

 

Five makes a noise, something akin to a grunt, nuzzling deeper against Luther’s neck. 

 

“Don’t care,” they manage to say, but it’s quiet. Slurred. They feel close to falling asleep, a sensation settling in their bones Five doesn’t have a name for. Something like calm but warmer. Better. 

 

“Just...let me stay here.”

 

They don’t mean the stairs but don’t feel like elaborating. Luther understands anyway.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m not letting you go.” There’s a sincerity in his voice, an emotion weaving into the words heavy enough to make it feel like he is talking about more than just holding Five. 

 

They’ll talk about that. Soon. 

 

Right now, Five lets themself drift away in Luther’s arms, lulled to sleep by his rhythmic footsteps as he makes his way down the stairs. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hope you enjoyed! (Leave a comment, kudo, you know the drill by now).


End file.
